Florida high school football player dies after collapsing mid-game

A Florida high school football player died over the weekend after collapsing on the field during a Friday night game, according to various reports.

The tragedy occurred during a game between Port St. Joe High School and Liberty County High School in northern Florida.

Chance Gainer, 18, was a wide receiver and defensive back for Port St. Joe.

A recent story from NBC News detailed the community response in the aftermath of Gainer’s death. Below is an excerpt from the NBC News story.

Port St. Joe High School Principal Sissy Godwin said in the statement that, “You may not have heard Chance in the crowd, but you could see his smile from across the room.”

Gainer was tended to on the field after he collapsed but did not have a pulse when EMTs first arrived at the scene, NBC News affiliate WJHG reported. Medical personnel were able to find a pulse before Gainer was rushed via ambulance to a hospital in Blountstown, Florida, where he later died.

The community gathered at the high school after Gainer’s death “just to be together,” Norton said, adding that it was “an indescribably heartwarming experience to watch the community pour their hearts of love on the family and Chance’s teammates and coaches.”

Gainer was playing defensive back when he collapsed, Tim Davis, the athletic director and assistant principal for Liberty County High School, where the game was being played, told Northwest Florida Daily News.

“He just went to the ground suddenly,” Davis told the outlet. He said coaches tended to Gainer on the field before calling EMS shortly thereafter.

In a Facebook post, Davis said it was “such an emotional night as the importance of football faded away.”

The Florida High School Athletic Association extended their “heartfelt sympathy” to Gainer’s family and the Port St. Joe community in a statement on Facebook.

According to WJHG, Gainer was an honors student with a better than 4.0 grade point average. He had recently visited Vanderbilt University where he discussed potentially attending college.

Port St. Joe High School was open Saturday afternoon to offer grief support to students and members of the community, the school said on Facebook. Extra counselors will be available Monday for those who need it.

Port St. Joe High School is located in the Florida Panhandle, a little over 100 miles southwest of Tallahassee. WJHG reported that the school’s upcoming game on Friday has been postponed.

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Gainer’s is not the first death of a high school football player so far this season.

At least five high school football players and one middle school player have died this season alone. Of the high school players, three died either while they were practicing or shortly thereafter, one died during a preseason workout and another died after he was tackled and hit his head during a game.

To read the full story from NBC News, click here.